Changing settings of a mobile terminal

• US 7,991,406 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Korkalo, Tapio, Karjanmaa, Rami, Vilppula, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peaches; Randy
• Application Number:
  US10/445,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20040235464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,993 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/414.2, 455/457, 455/419, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/416
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A device enabling a change of settings of applications is implemented in a mobile terminal. In order to facilitate a change of such settings, the device comprises a storage portion for storing a plurality of configurations. Each stored configuration is associated to at least one location and each stored configuration defines settings for applications implemented in the mobile terminal. The device further comprises a controlling portion for receiving information on a current position of the mobile terminal, for retrieving automatically a configuration associated to a location identified by the position information from the storage portion, and for changing settings of applications implemented in the mobile terminal according to the retrieved configuration. The device can be either a mobile terminal, or a module for a mobile terminal. The invention relates equally to a corresponding system and to a corresponding method.

Claims

1. A device enabling a change of settings of applications implemented in a mobile terminal, said device comprising:

a storage portion for storing a plurality of configurations, wherein at least one of the stored configurations is associated to at least one location and defines at least one setting for at least one application implemented in a mobile terminal; and

a controlling portion for receiving information on a current position of a mobile terminal, for retrieving automatically a configuration associated to a location identified by said position information from said storage portion, said controlling portion being adapted to retrieve, in case a plurality of locations are identified by said position information, a configuration which is associated to an identified location to which a highest priority was assigned, and for changing settings of applications implemented in said mobile terminal according to said retrieved configuration.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said storage portion enables further a storage of definitions of an action, wherein each stored definition of an action is associated to at least one location, and wherein said controlling portion further retrieves automatically a definition of an action associated to a location identified by a received position information from said storage portion and causes an action corresponding to said retrieved definition.

3. A device according to claim 2, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to define an action for a specific location, which definition is stored by said controlling portion in said storage portion and associated to said specific location.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to define a new configuration for a new location, which new configuration is stored by said controlling portion in said storage portion and associated to said new location.

5. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to amend a configuration stored in said storage portion via said controlling portion.

6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to switch off said automatic change of settings performed by said controlling portion.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said user interface portion is for enabling a user to manually select a configuration stored in said storage portion, said controlling portion changing settings of applications implemented in a mobile terminal according to said selected configuration.

8. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to define a name for a specific location, which name is stored by said controlling portion in said storage portion for said specific location.

9. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to define a size of a specific location, which size is stored by said controlling portion in said storage portion together with a position information for said specific location, and wherein said controlling portion assumes a specific location to be identified by a received position information, when the position information defines a position which lies within an area defined by a stored position information and an associated size.

10. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface portion enabling a user to assign different priorities to different locations.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein said storage portion comprises a first database for storing said configurations and a second database for storing information on different locations, wherein each entry for a specific location in said second database comprises a reference to an entry in said first database, and wherein an entry in said second database can be selected by said controlling portion based on received position information.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein said first database enables in addition a storage of definitions of an action.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein said storage portion comprises a default entry defining a specific behaviour, which default entry is used by said controlling portion for acting according to said defined behaviour, in case a received position information does not identify a location to which an entry stored in said storage portion is associated.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device is a controller module for a mobile terminal.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device is said mobile terminal.

16. A device according to claim 15, further comprising at least one positioning component, in which a positioning method for determining a current position of said mobile terminal is implemented, and a location framework for receiving position information from said at least one positioning component and for providing received position information to said controlling portion.

17. A device according to claim 15, further comprising a communication component for receiving from a network predefined configurations for storage in said storage means.

18. A device according to claim 15, further comprising a communication component for receiving from a network predefined location information for storage in said storage means.

19. A device according to claim 15, further comprising a communication component for receiving from a network a position information and for forwarding said position information to said controlling portion to enable said controlling portion to automatically retrieve an entry associated to a location identified by said position information from said storage portion.

20. The device of claim 1, said controlling portion being adapted to retrieve, in case said plurality of locations identified by said position information overlap.

21. A system comprising a mobile terminal with:

a storage portion for storing a plurality of configurations, wherein at least one of the stored configurations is associated to at least one location and defines at least one setting for at least one application implemented in said mobile terminal; and

a controlling portion for receiving information on a current position of said mobile terminal, for retrieving automatically a configuration associated to a location identified by said position information from said storage portion, said controlling portion being adapted to retrieve, in case a plurality of locations are identified by said position information, a configuration which is associated to an identified location to which a highest priority was assigned, and for changing settings of applications implemented in said mobile terminal according to said retrieved configuration;

said system further comprising at least one unit transmitting signals to said mobile terminal, which signals enable said mobile terminal to provide information on a current position of said mobile terminal as position information to said controlling portion.

22. A system of claim 21, said controlling portion being adapted to retrieve, in case said plurality of locations identified by said position information overlap.

23. A method of changing settings of applications implemented in a mobile terminal, said method comprising at a controlling portion of said mobile terminal:

receiving information on a current position of said mobile terminal;

retrieving a stored configuration, which configuration is associated to a location identified by said received position information and which configuration defines at least one setting for at least one application implemented in said mobile terminal, wherein in case a plurality of locations are identified by said position information, a configuration is retrieved which is associated to an identified location to which a highest priority was assigned; and

changing settings of applications implemented in said mobile terminal according to said retrieved configuration.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said plurality of locations are overlapping.